Fresh Dairy registers 60% growth export earnings

State Minister for Animal husbandry, Joy Kabatsi (R) looks on during a raw milk quality test at a field day in Kiruhura district.

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Milk processing firm, Fresh Dairy, grew its export earnings by 60% to US$16million (Shs92.5bn) last year on the back of improved quality of products.

Fresh Dairy’s Director of Milk Procurement ,John Gethi, said the company is working with over 80 farmers’ groups countrywide and ensuring that only high quality milk is delivered to its collection centres for chilling and onward transportation to its processing plant in Kampala.

In return, the company paid Shs38bn to the contracted farmers in 2016, representing a 33% increase in their income compared with the previous year.

This comes at the time the company’s raw milk intakes has risen to more than 350,000 litres per day, up from 80,000 two years ago.

Data from the Dairy Development Authority shows that milk production in the country stood at 2.2 billion litres by the end of 2016, up from 1.5 billion litres in 2010.